China-India border ‘stable’ after ‘clashes’

BEIJING, China (AFP) — China said the situation was "stable" Tuesday on its border with India, after New Delhi reported a fresh stand-off between the two countries' militaries on their disputed Himalayan frontier last week.

The incident is thought to be the most serious on the nuclear-armed Asian giants' disputed frontier since 2020 when 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers died in brawling.

An Indian source said the 9 December incident, which followed recent joint United States-India military exercises near the border, led to "minor injuries to (a) few personnel from both sides."

Chinese soldiers came close to the area near the Line of Actual Control — the de facto border — where it had been agreed that neither side would patrol, the sources added.

Indian media reports quoted unnamed sources as saying that the incident involved around 300 members of China's People's Liberation Army, and that China suffered a greater number of injuries — claims Beijing has not commented on.